Method of welding.



UNITED sTATns PATENT QFFICE JEAN HUBERT Louis DE BATS, 0E zELIENoPLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD oE WELDTNG.

To all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, JEAN HUBERT LoUIs DE BATS, a resident of Zelienople, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania;Y

welding dissimilar metals, such as cornsoft metals which will prevent the access of paratively hard and `soft metals to each other.

The invention is primarily adapted for welding copper or aluminum to iron or steel, but may ,alsobe'practised for welding to any hard metal, such. as'iron, nickel, steel such as copper, zinc, nsilver or gold.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple method fof welding hard and soft,l metals which can be practised economically and with simple apparatus and which will secure a good" weld or union between the hard and soft metals.v

The invention also has for its object to' provide a method of welding hard and oxygen to the contacting surfaces of the two vmetals, thereby preventing corrosion thereof or the formationof films of oXid thereupon vand insuring that the contacting .surfaces of the two metals will be clean and the .best condition to unite with each other. I

Briefly stated, the method consists in bringing surfaces ofthe two dissimilar metals which are clean or free from corrosion into contact with each otherin avacuum or partial vacuum, and then heating the'y metals,

while insaid vacuum, to a temperature t .or

the metals 'are ,heated has the effect of opening up the pores or interstices between -the particles o r molecules vof the harder metal, so that the surface or skin thereof,

- when heated, has an affinity for the softer metal. vThe soft metal is consequently at? 'tracted to the hard metal and when the weldingtemperature is reached runs into and'ills all of its poresor interstic'es .and

produces af thorough intermingling or union between the skin or surface particles Specication of Lett-ers Patent. Appueetien mea Angus@ 1s, 1913. serial No. 785,391.

Patented sept. 7, i915.

of the two metals, Athereby producingga goed The method may be carried outwith or without pressure, and. if pressure is usedA it may be applied inany desired manner, preferably, however, while. the metals are u a a l still 1n the vacuum or partial vacuum. It-

may also be utilized -for .welding together Y disslmilar metals in the form ofsheets or plates, or for providing articles formed of one metal, such as the harder metal, with a coating of the other metal. Such articles maybe of any shape or form, such as sheets, plates, bar, tubes,castings, or the like.

In the drawings, which illustrate suit- Y able forms of apparatus for carrying out the invention, Figure l'is`a sectional elevation, showing apparatus for welding together sheets or plates of two dissimilar metals; and Fig. 2 is a similar View, Vshowing apparatus for welding together large, heavy plates, such as armorplateor the like.

In practising themethod the two metalsV are rst brought into contact `with` each other in such manner that there willbe no film or coating of oXid or scale on the contacting surfaces. This may be'accomplished Y in several ways. When plates of two'dissimilar metals are to Obe welded together the surfaces to ble brought into contact may be cleaned by means of asand blast, or by pickling,or the metals may be appliedto each other as soon as formed into sheets, so there will be no opportunity for corrosion. In vother cases, as when a tube or bar is to be provided with a thin coating of a diferent metal, the tube-or bar, if cor- 'I roded, isifirst cleaned by a sand blast orb'ypickling, and is then provided with a. c'at ing of the other metal in anfelectrolyticplating cell, the current being soV regulatedG as to secure va firm adherent coating of the proper thickness. AThe coating metal may also4 be applied to the base metal by rubbing it on with 4friction', or as a powder, or may even be'applled as a paste bypainting it on. The two metals, in contact witheach other, as described, are nowplaced an air-tightfurnace or container, provided with suitable means whereby the air may be exhausted therefrom. When` a. vacuunr or partial vacuum of the proper degree has been produced within the container or furnace -the two metalsjin contact with each other therein, are heated to a temperatu-re at or near the melting point of the softer metal. This may be done in any suitable manner, but preferably .by means'of electrodes located `within the container or furnace and so connected to an outside source of current that an are may be produced between said electrodes sufficient lto heat the metals to theproper temperature. The current is passedthrough the electrodes for a sufficient time lto enable the coating metal to enter and fill -the pores or interstices of the harder metal, so that 'there will be a thorough interminglin or welding of the two metals together.

may be accomplished in any desired manner, but preferably before the metals are removed from the vacuum. One way 1n which this can he done is by making the furnace or container for holding the two metals of sufficient size so that a rolling mill or power press maybe contained therein, said mill or press being so arranged thatit can be manipulated and controlled ,from without the container or furnace, supplemental mechanism being also included in the container for lifting the pairs of plates or compound .articles 2 and feeding them into .the mill', and when compressed receiving them therefrom. The metals'may be heated electrically or, one of the rolls mayV be heated and the metals heated by conduction as they pass therethrough.

The apparatus shown in Fig. ..1 comprises a container ,or furnace -1, which maybe of any suitable slze, proportions and shape, and

which is preferably-made of refractory material with a metal jacket. Said furnace is provided with a cover or doorway 2, which is suitably arranged so that it may be tightly sealed over the lopening-in the container, thereby making the same air-tight. A pipe or conduit 3 communicates with the space within the furnace and at its outer en d is arranged forconnection to a-suitable source of suction, so thatthe air may be exhausted from the container and avacuum or partial vacuum produced therein. n

l represents a heat'ngfcrucible, which is supported withinthe container and is arranged to hold the two dissimilar metals in contactwith each other.

. 5 represents a plate or sheet'of one of said metals, which may be formed of steel, iron,

nickel or the like, and upon which is superposed a plate or sheet 6 of the other or softer are in the form of sheets or plates,

be provided `ner just described'. In this case a tube, bar

temperature in the metal, which may be copper, zinc, aluminum, gold, silver or the' like. y

. The electrodes for producing an arc and thereby heating the two metals are shown at 7 and are connected to leads 8, which extend outwardly through clay pipes or tubes 9 to the outside'of the furnace, where they are connected to a suitable generator or other source of current 10.

In use of this apparatus the platesl of the two dissimilar metals, if corroded, are irst cleaned, and are then placed in contact with each other within the cruc'ible 4, while thev latter is lying within the furnace 1. The cover or doorway 2 is then tightly sealed upon the furnace and the air therein is exhausted through the conduit 3. *The electric current 'is then turned on and an arc is formedbetween the electrodes 7. This may belaccomplished in any suitable manner as by bringing the electrodes together and then separating them. The arc produces heat suflicient to bring\the temperaturevof the two metals up to the welding temperature, that is, to a temperature at or near the fusing point of the softer metal. When this occurs there is a free'intermingling of the particles or molecules' along the contacting surfaces of the two metals and a good weld or union results. y

Tubes, bars or rods, or other articles may with coatings inthe same man! or the like, formed of one metal, 'such as hard steel or iron, may be provided witha coating of the other metal, such as soft copper or the like, and is then placed Within the container and heated in a vacuum. The coating metal may be in the form of a thin sheet or film applied mechanically to the base metal or may be plated on electrically or painted on as described. v In either case, when the metals are heated to the proper vacuum, as described, the two metals become thoroughly intermingled and welded together. 4

Fig.' 2 illustrates another form of apparatus lsuitable for forming armor-plate or the like. This comprises a long, shallow furnace or container 11 having a door 12 which may be tightly sealed thereon, andwhlch containerl is provided with a pipe 0r conduit 13 by means of which the air there- 1n may be exhausted to produce a vacuum' or partial vacuum. Electrodes 14 are mounted at the opposite ends of said furnace and connected electrically to a suitable source of 'current 15. The sheets ofmetal to form the loq as powdered silica or the like, to' prevent them from Welding or fusing together.

After the air is exhausted from the furnace the current is turned 0n and the'plates sub- Ajected to a slow soaking heat which penesure. After the plates have been heated for a sufficient length of time the current is turned oli"v and the plates allowed to cool in the vacuum after which they are Withdrawn from the furnace and Worked or rolled to the shapes desired.

' What I claim is 1. The method of Welding dissimilar met-V r als, consisting in heating the same in conta-ct with each other in avacuum to a Welding temperature and thereby preventing corrosion of the contacting surfaces ofthe two metals and causing the particlesof the Vtwo metals along the vcontacting surfaces to intermingle and unite with each other.

i 2. Themethod of Welding relativelyhard and soft metals, consisting in bringing clean surfaces of said metals into contact With each other in a vacuum, heating said metals While in said vacuum to a temperature near the melting point of the soft metal, and then allowing'said metals to cool in said vacuum.

3. The method of welding relatively hard and soft metals, consisting in heating said metals While in Contact with each other in a vacuum, and applying pressure to said metals to cause the particles along the contact:

ing surfaces thereof to intermingle and unite with each other. Y

4. The method of Weldingrelatively hard and soft metals, consisting in heating said metals While in contact with each other in a vacuum, applying pressure to said metals While in said vacuum to cause the particles along the contactingsurfaces thereof to intermingle and unite with eachother, and allowing said metals to cool While in said vacuum. j I l In testimony whereof, Ihave hereunto set my hand.

JEAN HUBERT LOUIS DE BATS. Witnesses: G. ZEHNER, JACOB RAEBER. 

